The Missing Link
by Dawn Shard
Summary: Saya never had any real blood family to tell her of her mother. But now, thirty years after defeating Diva, she begins to question her forsaken past, along with the new Chiropteran wandering. And someone has all the answers. [T for safety. Leans to SxH]
1. Prologue

**The Missing Link_  
_**

**_Atagoki: _**_My first Blood+ fic. Wooplah. XD First off, I usually spell Haji..well..Haji, but I suppose more people use Hagi in fics...so I'll use that. Sorry if it pisses you off or is annoying. I saw Haji first and I've been calling him that since the beginning of time. Also. Leans to HxS. :P Note that this was based off a theory I had about Blood+ after rumors of a possible series continuation (although I doubt it's even true...but what the hell, I'll have fun.)_

_**Rating: **T for violence and brief language_

_**Warnings: **Violence in this chapter._

_**Disclaimer: **An apple a day does not buy you Blood+. --"__  
_

* * *

**Prologue:** _  
_

_The heavy tears began to pool in the corners of the young woman with bright blue eyes. Her young face was streaked from a variety of things, ranging from blood to sweat. To say the least, she was not clean. Her usually clean outfit was a mess from the combination of spilled blood, tears, sweat, rain, and ash, not to mention the mud. The scent of burnt flesh and wooded area filled her nose. The young woman brushed the long bangs out from her eyes and blinked them, trying to concentrate hard on what she was doing. She gripped her blade with such ferocity her own hands began to shake. The moonlight from above let the muddy ground and puddles of water glisten, her moistened blade, dripping with blood and water._

_The young woman with cerulean eyes lighting up the dark evening, closed her eyes to hide her location and put all her energy into listening for the sound of anything to alert her to her enemy. It was hard to hear beyond the crackles of the fire, however, it was dying down, but the thick grayish-black smoke began to fill her lungs and she tried so desperately not to cough and give away her location. Silence. Dead silence. Fear was overpowering her but she swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed aside the horrid scents that were tickling her nose and daring her to vomit and cry._

_The silence was interrupted by a slight crackle of branches, which to the young woman, sounded like a hoard of elephants coming through, but in reality, was so minuscule, a normal person wouldn't pay much mind to it. Her eyes flickered open and she stealthily made her way to the sound until she felt a presence near her. An arm wrapped around her throat and staggered breath licked her neck and face and she looked away to escape the scent of the sour blood._

_"Hey, Ayumi. It appears I found you. You're too naïve." the voice whispered in her ear, gliding against her skin with a cold knife. _

_"Oh? And how's that, Hakuro?" Ayumi, the cerulean-eyed girl replied, her voice faltering as she said her enemy's name._

_"I'm sorry for having to kill you, little sister." Hakuro replied, and turned Ayumi to face her, blinking. Brown eyes suddenly became recessive and replaced by more dominant blood-red eyes sparkling in the moonlight as Ayumi's blue eyes did. Hakuro took her thumb and traced against the blade of the knife, blood seeping out slowly._

_Ayumi grabbed her own katana, wincing at the thought of the extreme pain, and then inhaled deeply and dragged the sword forward. She paused. Hesitation? No. There was no time to think about this. Now or never. "I wish it had been never, nee-san." she whispered, then forced the blade through her own self with such force, it caught her sister in her own stomach. A gasp, a scream, then silence. _

_Ayumi's eyes watered as she pulled the sword out and turned to her sister on the ground, getting on her knees. "Nee-san..." she mumbled softly, using her fingers to brush Hakuro's bangs out of her former blood-red eyes. The eyes were returning to their normal brown shade. _

_"My...my daughters..." Hakuro muttered, her eyes shutting slowly and her skin beginning to deteriorate. _

_Ayumi's fingers released the blade and she clenched her hand tightly, fingernails creating little crescents, then released and fell forward on her knees, resting her weight on her palms and wept hushed cries until a crack in the woods made her look up and lean back on her knees. She wiped her nose with her muddy hand and carried further dirt on to her face, then reached around on the ground for the blade in the soaked ground. _

_"Ay-Ayumi...Ha-Hakuro..." the blond haired man whispered, taking a step forward._

_"Nathan. I am sorry."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The young woman eyed the authentic landscape of the former Moorish city of Seville, Spain. She nodded her head then began to trace out the shape of the buildings, heavy and saddened eyes darting back to her drawing only for a brief second, then back to the landscape for more time.

Her violet eyes had gained an almost slight silver tint from age and seeing so much, her skin darkened from sitting out in the sun for so many hours and her eyebrows fixated. She carried the face of a woman who had seen more than she deserved to see. Four or five lifetimes worth was the minimum, and so she expressed it with her face.

As she began to trace the lining of the tall building to the northwest, a voice interrupted and caused her to stop drawing as her pencil went astray. She dropped her arm and sighed, turning around, her eyes sullen and dark circles under her eyes being shown to her guest.

"Yes, Miguel. What is it?"

"A young man named Hagi is here to see you. He has a lady friend."

She chuckled, although it seemed forced, and then turned back to her work and began tracing the line of the tall buildings. "You of all people should know Miguel, that people who appear young are not always young. But I do not wish to see this Hagi. Tell him to leave."

The fair skinned and fair haired man came closer and grabbed her arm, whispering in her ear some Japanese, a language she didn't often use anymore. "You promised him_—_"

"My promise is no longer valid considering the terms of our agreement. Tell him to go to Paris and leave me alone. A bitter and frigid woman like me wants little to do with any more troubles."

* * *

_**Atagoki: **Ah...bear with me. XD I'm not used to writing for Blood+ and because the series seemed so...finite, it's a little trickier than expected._


	2. Chapter 1

**The Missing Link**

**_Atagoki: _**_Ho hum, thanks for all the positive reviews. I truly appreciate it. Here's chapter 2, and it'll have more Haji and Saya. Yayz._

_**Warnings: **None._

_**Disclaimer: **I'm just part of the fandom, that's all. _

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

The hot sun was making small beads of sweat form on Saya's slightly pale neck, slightly buried beneath the clumps of her black hair. Her thin hand came to her face and wiped her bangs out of her face. "It's hot today, isn't it Hagi?" She asked as if to start up a conversation. In return, he looked at her and gave a nod, then looked back at the gardens. It was almost nostalgic and reminded her of the Zoo.

The serenity and silence was quickly broken by shouting and the abrupt crash of something. Saya looked at Hagi briefly, then dashed up the stairs with Hagi at her heels. She dashed down the hallway listening to see if the sound got louder. It did. She ran past a hallway to her left, but the sound died down. Wrong way, she assumed, running back and down the hall. The sounds grew louder and louder, but each time, she pressed her ear to the door to see if the shouts and sounds were louder. First door was a negative, the second was closer, but not. The third room was seemingly silent. The room across from the second room was it. She jiggled the handle on the door. No luck; it was locked. Saya used her shoulder to try and get through the door, but all she did was make it sore for a few brief seconds. Hagi pushed her aside and swung the case of his cello back, then forced it through at full speed.

The sounds stopped and Saya took a step in, the ground crunching beneath her feet at the shards of pottery and small wood chips, then she felt like her shoes were oozing. She looked down. Paint and water and clay and art supplies were everywhere. A pair of chilling violet eyes with small specks of silver in them caught her own brown eyes. "Do you have a good reason for breaking my door?"

Saya opened her mouth, then closed it. She swallowed and took a breath, then sighed. "Yes miss. I was concerned that something horrible was happening."

"Trust me when I say this: I don't need your rescuing. Thanks though."

The chilling eyes were familiar and yet, somehow, scared the hell out of her. Saya shivered at the sight of them and quickly wished to leave the room. As she turned to leave, she noticed a familiar presence wasn't overshadowing her. Hagi stood there, gazing at the woman. She gave him a look, then smiled devilishly and mouthed something, then walked out of the room and onto the balcony. Saya touched his arm and he looked down at her. "Hagi, let's go."

As they began to walk down the stairs, a voice called them out. "Please, wait!" The blond man stumbled down the stairs and took Saya's hand and bowed his head, placing his forehead on it. A little old-fashioned and overly formal, but Saya pushed that out of her mind. "I would like to apologize for the lady's behavior. She has...times when she's slightly bi-polar and has temper tantrums. The noise you heard was her pitching a tantrum. Please do not judge her based on that. I should have handled this matter. I have been instructed by her to make arrangements for your stay and departure. You will be flying to Paris, correct?"

"How did you know?" Saya asked, taking her hand back and clutching it to her chest.

"Do not concern yourself over the minor details. The lady is a good woman and she knows very much about you, Saya-sama. But do not let her know I've told you this, as you are not supposed to know."

"And she doesn't care enough to tell." Hagi added.

Saya looked at him. Usually, these comments didn't even enter the mind of Hagi, least of all escaping through the lips. At least, not anymore. Somehow, someway...this woman had the way to make him act out of character. And it scared the hell out of Saya.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Miguel, is Saya all right?"

"Aside from having the piss scared out of her by me, I think the ol' gal is just fine, Ayumi."

"That's not funny, Amalia. You freaked her out!" Miguel screeched.

"Christ, both of you calm down." Ayumi hissed. "The speaker phone is a tad sensitive. Now, does she know anything?"

"Not really. Just that I have this powerful ability to make her man-slave pissed off. And personally, pissed off guys are much more attractive, in my opinion. Saya should be thanking me."

"Well no one wants your opinion. You lied to him." He said, filling the bucket of water with a mixture of soap, lemon, and a tad of paint thinner.

"I lie to everyone. What makes this Hagi so special?"

"All right, both of you, shut up. Amalia, stop pissing him off. And no more lies. And do not call Hagi 'Saya's man-slave' again. He's a person."

"Like hell he is..." Amalia muttered to herself, her violet eyes flashing.

"Miguel, just avoid the two. You'll end up giving us all away."

"Yes, Ayumi-sama." Miguel sighed exasperatedly.

"...Amalia?" Ayumi asked.

"...Fine." Amalia disconnected the phone.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Moshi moshi."

"Moshi moshi, Kai. It's Saya."

"Awesome." Kai replied.

"Do people even say that anymore?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Sure. So how are the twins?"

"Eh. Think they're older and wiser than me. They'll only listen to you, Hagi, and Julia. You think for twenty-six, they'd act their age. But how's Hagi?"

"..." Saya was silent.

"That bad?"

"No...there's just this...there _was _this woman. She just...she just made him...I don't know." Saya sighed and rested her head on her forearm.

"Are you all right?"

"I don't know."

"Have you gotten any blood transfusions?"

"No...not yet. I'm going later."

"...Liar." Kai said after a brief moment of silence.

"I promise I will...just as soon as I sort my thoughts out."

"Saya, you woke up barely five days ago. I think you ought to come home and relax. Furthermore, you're four years early."

Saya ran her hand through her hair and gave a small shake of her head, even though Kai couldn't see. "Kai, do you even pay attention when Julia-san talks? She said my sleeping schedule is staggered. It's not going to be thirty years to the date. According to the records, I once slept for thirty-seven years. It's all right if I'm a little early...just so long as it's not something like twenty years or something."

The line clicked, then a chirpy voice interrupted. "Hi, Aunt Saya!"

"Hi there, Aimi."

"Hi, Aunt Saya!"

"Hello, Akane."

"What's up?" The twins asked simultaneously.

"Oh, nothing particularly. How are you two?"

"We're great." Aimi said. Her voice was mellower than Akane, so it was easy to pick them out by voice. "Only, Kai sounds like an old man after all his worrying."

"Girls, why don't you listen to me? Will just call me Dad?! And furthermore, this is a grown-up conversation between me and your aunt. So get off the phone, please."

"Yessir." Akane replied. The line clicked twice.

* * *

**_Atagoki:_**_ Mk...I haven't elaborated on Saya's awakening or Hagi's return, but that's next chapter, and then some. XP _

_Please read and review. And tell me what you think. I'd love to hear, even if it's more constructive criticism than doting.  
_


	3. Chapter 2

**The Missing Link**

**_Atagoki: _**_Thanks to everyone for the positive reviews and feedback. I'm 'ppreciaiting it tremendously. XP Anyway...on with the show. And I promised this would be more about Saya's awakening, no?_

_**Warnings: **None in particular...short of a bit of brief language.  
_

_**Disclaimer: **I. Don't. Own. Blood+._

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

_It was a cold and gray morning. It had been raining practically nonstop since just after midnight. Kai pulled back his face from the window and tied the curtains to the side and blowing on his cup of tea taking a gulp. A burst of laughter came from the stairs.  
_

_"Girls, come on downstairs. You've got chores today and then we're going out later," Kai called to the girls, adding, "I'd hate to have to drag you there in your pajamas. That would just be so horrible." _

_A scrambling was heard upstairs and he smirked to himself. They were easy to mess with. At the ages of twenty-six, they had the mentality of fifteen year olds. Or maybe Kai was just getting old...he preferred the first. Getting old was scary, considering he used to be told he was quite the looker.  
_

_As the day dragged on, it turned into a rainy Sunday filled with board games, a movie or two, and hot chocolate, tea, or coffee during the cold, winter month. Aimi was bundled up in a black blanket pulled up to her chin and around her shoulders, her knees pulled to her chest. Akane was popping little sweets in her mouth as she began laughing at the television show. Kai and Aimi cringed. "Ew, Akane. Just ew. I don't want to see your esophagus and half-chewed food while you're laughing."_

_Akane swallowed and made a face. "Do you even know what an esophagus is?"_

_"Yeah, it's something you said once."_

_Akane smacked herself in the forehead. Aimi was too dense. Not that she wasn't smart, she just didn't study. Ever. _

_Kai rolled his eyes. "Come on girls, let's just calm down." The phone began ringing and Kai answered it politely. _

_"Oh? I see..." Pause. "All right. The girls and I will be there shortly." Kai hung up. _

_"What happened, Kai?" Aimi asked. _

_"Nothing. Julia just wanted to see us right away..."_

_Akane raised her eyebrow. "All right. So let's go see her."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_"Hey, everyone. I bet you're wondering why we called you here." Julia greeted warmly, hugging the trio individually. "Well, we've got Chiropteran activity."_

_"Oh?" Aimi repeated. "Chiropteran...?"_

_Akane groaned. "What do you mean Chiropteran activity? I thought they were extinct."_

_"If they were, we'd all be on full-time vacation," David lamented, adding, "But unfortunately for us, these type aren't the ones we used to deal with. They're, for lack of a better term, different."_

_"Different?" Akane repeated._

_"Different." Julia confirmed. She brushed a stray gray hair out of her face, then typed something into her computer. "They're entire structure and appearance and attack pattern is just different. I don't know why."_

_"But at this point, we have to assume the worst." David stated, nodding. _

_"Saya's a target." Kai whispered. _

_Julia and David nodded. _

_"We need to retrieve her." Kai added. _

_"Yeah. We do. But as you can see, David isn't exactly in his prime and neither am I. Aimi, Akane, can you help Kai get Saya back here? From there, we'll try to coordinate her safety. I'll contact Lewis and get you three plus Saya a flight to Los Angeles, and from there, a flight to Miami." Julia stated.  
_

_"Miami?" Aimi asked.  
_

_"Just procedure." David said nonchalantly. _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_"Eugh! Kaiiii," Aimi whined, "Aunt Saya is heavyy...I don't want to carry her!"_

_"Oh, for God's sake! You're strong, Aimi. You can do it. And stop whining!" Akane spat, grabbing a mass of her hair and piling it on top of her hair, using bobby pins to support it. _

_The car ride was filled with bickering and hissing and childish insults at one another. "Girls, will you stop it and act your age?"_

_"Fine." Aimi and Akane spat simultaneously, both crossing their arms and facing opposite windows, seconds before Kai pulled over and stopped the car. _

_He opened the door and got the umbrellas, then told Aimi and Akane to get out. After doing so, the three began their quest to get up and make their way towards the monument of Saya's slumber. _

_Aimi slouched forward, using the umbrella to cover her head as she walked up the huge set of stairs. "How many stairs does this place have?"_

_"We've been here before, Aimi...why whine now?"_

_"Because it's raining..." She muttered flatly. _

_"Aimi, you can wait here if you so desire it." Kai instructed. Aimi did a small jump and walked towards the landing of the stairs, picking leaves off trees and skipping in the puddles. _

_Akane replied by rolling her eyes and walking a little faster towards the top. With Kai at her heels, she pushed the door to Saya's chamber aside and stood in the door, dropping her umbrella. Kai looked at her for a second then peered in the chamber. "Shit." Kai stated.  
_

_"Shit." Akane confirmed._

_"What's taking so long?" Aimi cried, twirling something in her hand._

_"Saya's gone." Akane called back, her voice wavering._

_"What?" Aimi called louder._

_"Saya is gone!" Akane screamed._

_"Shit." Aimi muttered to herself._

_"All right, I think that word is bordering overkill, Aimi." Akane shouted back._

_"Not if you were in my position!" _

_Kai walked towards the stairs and tried to peer through the rain. "What are you talking about?"_

_"I think I found Aunt Saya..." Aimi cried through the rain. _

_Blood red eyes glistened in the rain as they looked upon the young woman that was a dead knocker for her mother. "Diva..." Saya hissed._

_"Um...no. Aimi." _

_"What are you doing here? I killed you!"_

_Kai came thundering down the stairs and grabbed Saya by the shoulders, ignoring the fact her clothes were filled with rips and holes and hanging limply and damply on her body, topped off with the fact her white top had suddenly become slightly transparent. "Saya, no! It's Aimi! It's your niece!"_

_"Diva..."_

_"Saya, it's me," Kai brushed the hair out of her face and cupped her face in his hands. "Saya, it's Kai! Your brother! Come on. Snap out of it."_

_Saya looked up. "Kai?"_

_Akane came through and wrapped her a towel around Saya's shoulders, covering her with the umbrella. "Let's get her out of the rain."  
_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_"As far as I can see, her motor skills are just fine, although Saya is a little disoriented. However, she's been asleep for just a few months short of twenty-seven years, so that's expected. She'll need to do a lot of exercises to get her body used to movement." The young doctor placed his stethoscope in the bag, writing something down on a piece of paper and handing it to Akane. "I suggest some activities to make sure her memory is intact as well." _

_The door creaked open at this point and a young man stepped through, smiling to everyone, then taking off his jacket and closing his umbrella, placing it in the closet. He looked at the couch, unfamiliar with the young woman sleeping there.  
_

_Julia smiled. "Thank you, doctor. Matthew, get the door."  
_

_A dark-haired and tall man nodded and made his way to the door from the closet, closing it behind the doctor. "Yes, Mom." How David and Julia's son got black hair still miffed Kai to this day as he watched Matthew cross the room.  
_

_Kai caught himself gazing at Saya, in another peaceful slumber. A hand landed on his shoulder. "Perhaps we should get some rest. All of us." Julia offered._

_"And if she wakes up and tries to kill Aimi in her sleep?" Akane suggested, raising an eyebrow. Aimi made a face at her twin.  
_

_"I'll stay up. I suffer some insomnia anyway and I'll try and make sure she stays calm." Matthew offered._

_"Matthew, I don't want you putting yourself at risk."_

_"It's a little late for that, Mom." Matthew stated, then pulled out his laptop. "Really, I'll be fine."_

_Julia sighed in resignation, nodding. "Fine."_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Images of Saya's last memories engulfed her subconscious as she slept. It was scary. It was terrifying. And then it came. Flashes of Hagi. Flashes of Vietnam. Flashes of the Zoo. In one instant, the entire group of most tragic events flashed in a matter of seconds, then her eyes snapped open. She wanted to scream. But her voice was lost. She wanted to cry. But there were no tears. Just fear. _

_Behind the glow of a computer, Saya saw a mass of dark hair. Some green eyes peered over the monitor, although they appeared blue from the glow, and gave a look. Then the eyes widen and lights clicked on, headphones coming off the ears of the young man. He rushed to her and waved his hand in front of her face to snap her out of her trance. "Saya, are you all right?"_

_She looked at him, babbling incoherently. _

_"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"_

_A rumble came from her stomach and she nodded, making motions to eat. Matthew raised an eyebrow, but shook it off. "I'll be right back." He said, smiling and speaking slowly, as if she didn't understand. _

_Saya nodded. Another flash of Hagi, only it was in place of the young man, face-wise, at least. Her eyes snapped up from her knees and met the young man's. "Hagi?"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Saya's eyes opened, and this time, she was in a hotel room. She propped herself up on elbows and looked to the window to see it raised, the curtains blowing from the wind. A dark figure shifted and moved towards her. "Saya?"

"Don't worry, Hagi. I'm fine." Saya picked up the pillow and fluffed it slightly, then pulled the sheets to her chest and rolled over, closing her eyes.

* * *

**_Atagoki: _**_xP I didn't exactly tell much about how Hagi got there, now did I? But she did mistake Matthew for Hagi. Oops. Anyway. Leave a review and tell me what you think. I'd appreciate to hear it. Thanks!__  
_


	4. Chapter 3

**The Missing Link**

**_Atagoki: _**_Hm...working more so on this one. Hopefully I can get more of a plot line into this. Yeah, I have a lot of flashbacks, but I'll try to start cutting back on them, by the way._

_**Warnings: **References to blood, violence and language.  
_

**_Disclaimer: _**_I don't own Blood+, I just write. And write. And write._

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Saya's eyes slowly flickered open. The heavy scent of rain and a humid and thick, muggy aura clouded around her. She looked at the bright blue sky from the window and hoped it didn't rain. As she rose to prop herself up on her elbows, a presence shifted. Saya smiled to herself, then peered at the clock. It was almost noon.

"Saya?"

Saya rolled over to look at the wall for a familiar presence, then shifted out of the bed and wrapped her fingers around the handle of the glass door to the balcony. As she attempted to pull it open, her legs suddenly turned to jelly and she felt sick and nauseated all over, collapsing to her knees.

"Saya!" Hagi lurched forward and grabbed her in his arms, pulling her to her feet gently.

"I'm fine, Hagi. Just a little dizzy. And I'm a little hungry." Saya forced a smile reassuringly.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

As Saya forked her egg into her mouth at breakfast, her attempts to reassure Hagi that there was nothing either could have done about the previous night didn't go over well. Something closer to a frown was placed on his face, mostly out of concern, and Saya found she was a horrible liar, especially to herself.

And that seemingly clear day stayed so. It was quiet as Saya packed some of her belongings for her flight to Paris, as she asked Hagi to go for a walk in the city for a while. She wanted time to think to herself and even talk to herself without feeling overly conscious.

As she reached to pack her jacket, Saya frowned. It wasn't there. It wasn't in the closet. It wasn't in the drawers or suitcases either. And she wasn't wearing it. Saya began to search everywhere until she finally concluded it was not with her. Saya sighed and tried to recall where she put the jacket. She frowned as it became clear where she had left it. That woman's house. _Her_. Under any other circumstances, she would have gone to retrieve it, but frankly, she didn't want to run the risk of Hagi being nearby and getting angry...or that woman making some snippy little comment at her, like she was Saya's elder or that creepy old lady that always lived on your block and just stood there to say things and give you those looks that make you feel guilty even though you haven't even done anything.

_But_, it was a jacket that Julia had given her and if she just gave that answer, there'd be hell to pay from Aimi. Or, she could buy a new one for replacement purposes...

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"The preparations are going well, Ayumi-sama." Miguel said, looking at the body lying along the bed.

The young woman, still looking perhaps nineteen or so, lifted her arm to peer at him with one blue-green eye. Her right arm was on the bed and at the elbow, bent towards her and over her stomach, while her left lifted up and she buried her face in her elbow. "And Nathan?"

"He's being handled accordingly, Ayumi-sama."

"That is all. Is the transfusion almost done?"

"No, ma'am. But I still think you should drink upon the blood of Nathan or other Chevalier. It's a much faster process."

"And just as risky. I do not know what effect Nathan's blood will have upon me and I refuse to experiment. My sister's blood flows through his veins. It would be foolish to assume I would not be affected."

"But Diva used his blood_—_"

"But I am not Diva. Now leave."

Miguel sighed and walked towards the door, the paused and said, "These past two and a half centuries have made you bitter, Ayumi-sama..." Miguel closed the door behind him in resignation.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Still pondering what her actions should be, Saya sighed reluctantly and grabbed her umbrella as she left the room in fear of rain. As she stood outside and looked both ways in front of the hotel, Saya could truly not determine what to do. It was sad with all the time she had to deal with these decisions of just purely mortal decisions like buying a new jacket or retrieving one from someone's house. How Saya had missed the opportunities to make these petty decisions and contemplate them for hours.

Interrupting her thoughts was a loud and shrill screech. Saya froze. No? Not here. She closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts, straining to hear it. Yes. It was definitely here. Definitely near. And definitely the only monstrous creature that could make that sound: Chiropteran. The fowl and deafening shriek had ceased. Silence, or what could be close to silence amongst the sound of life going on. Nothing. Not a screech, scream or...no. Another scream. Only it was human. A woman. _The HELL?!_ Saya took off running down the streets searching for the sound's origin. Another screech from the Chiropteran. Yet the humans just kept going on about their lives as if there were no screams or screeches. Puzzling to be sure.

Saya turned into an alleyway, assuring herself the sound originated here, and found herself at a split. A path left and a path right. Actually, they were mere nooks between the buildings, but Saya believed she could squeeze through. Left, right, or back around? Left. Saya charged left and squeezed straight through, gasping for air when she made it to the other side. Empty. For the moment.

Mere seconds later and a shower of blood and rain came pouring down on Saya, followed by a tall female and male touching down on the ground. Each landed swiftly and rose. The woman poised her sword at the creature, using her sheath as another weapon. The man waited for a moment, then lunged towards the Chiropteran that had just landed on the ground. Saya ran up to interfere, but realized she was defenseless, except for her flimsy umbrella. The woman came flying backwards in an instant as the Chiropteran lifted its arm up in defense, using its other to sweep her back. She crashed into a wall and then stood up, cracking her knuckles then eyed Saya. "Stand back, sweetie. No weapon, no authority in this case."

That voice. No. Strike that. Yes. It was her. It was that...monstrous woman who caused Hagi so much agony and rage. Saya furrowed her brows and watched the two as they quickly struck down the Chiropteran. The woman eyed Saya again, wiping her red hands on her skirts and grinned. "Lost your touch, have you dear?"

Saya frowned. "Where's your boyfriend?"

The man nudged his companion. "It's time to go Amalia. _Now_."

"Come find me when you're ready to hear about your mother, Saya. I've got some lovely stories to tell. I'm sure you're dying to hear."

Saya dropped her umbrella and began to chase after the woman, yet her violet eyes glimmered in happy response to Saya's response and then she disappeared, with her male companion. Saya turned around and picked up her umbrella, burying part of her face in her right hand and beginning to cry. She felt an arm around her shoulder. "Saya. What happened?"

"I don't...I don't know anymore, Hagi! Who is that woman? Why does she speak like she knows me? Tell me the truth! Tell me now!"

The downpour of the rain didn't help the mood either.

* * *

_**Atagoki: **Finished, AT LAST! XD Thanks for bearing with me during my hiatus. More to come soon, I promise. Until then, leave a review. Arigatou._


	5. Chapter 4

**The Missing Link**

**_Atagoki: _**_Thanks for all the sweet reviews. This story is incredibly fun to write and it comes to me easy, so yay. On with the show._

_**Warnings: **Mild language._

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing. _

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

_"Oi, Nee-san! Look!" Hakuro pressed her small nose, hands and torso on the window, fogging it with her hot breath. _

_"Stop it, Hakuro. You're smudging up the windows and I just cleaned them." Ayumi snapped, grabbing her sister by the wrist and pulling her off the windows aggressively. "Besides, it's just snow. You've seen it a hundred times over."_

_"But it's so white and pretty..."_

_"Stop day-dreaming and help me with the laundry. Father will be angry if it's not done by the time he returns."_

_Hakuro remained, looking longly at the window. "Hakuro!" _

_"Coming, Nee-san!"_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"What did you say to Saya?" Ayumi spat.

"I told her to come see me when she wants to hear the tales of her mother..." Amalia muttered through her teeth.

"And did you, for one second, think about the consequences of you and your big mouth? What is it with you and making her suffer? All you have done is caused her further pain! And that will only lead to more hindering of this operation!" Ayumi hissed, her eyes bright blue and flashing. "I shall not let my sister's death be in vain! She gave the world Saya and Diva for a reason and I'm not letting it go to waste! Stop fucking around with this and acting like it's a damn game and take it seriously!" The angry voice slowly collected itself and inhaled, looking to Miguel. "Miguel, tell me the status of the Chiropteran."

"The Chiropteran's statuses are slowly raised. Granted, they're still fools and relatively easy to defeat. Counterattacks are more effective and it seems to have developed the ability to think out moves and patterns. Amalia even took a hit."

"I was caught off guard." Amalia recovered.

"My point exactly," Miguel rolled his eyes, "They're faster and more prepared for this than we thought."

"I see. I shall have to notify Nathan."

"And what of Saya?" Miguel asked.

"I do not know. Speak with Amalia with that matter. Clearly she seems to know what she's doing. Or so she acts that way."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

The empty theater was lit up by a few spotlights homing in on the stage. A blond man was arranging flowers in the front, then paused. He turned around and eyed the theater. "Is someone there?" Silence. He turned around, then jumped back as a cloaked figure was now there.

"Caught off guard again, Nathan?" The cold voice asked, removing the hood of her cloak.

"My lady, Ayumi. A pleasure to see you," Nathan said cordially, bowing to her, then adding, "Yet, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit from my former Queen's sister?"

"The pleasure of the Chiropteran status. Have you been experimenting without my permission?" Ayumi asked, stepping forward and glaring at him with her dark blue eyes.

"Of course not. I only act on your response. You haven't given me orders for almost five days. The Chiropteran Miguel and Amalia fought a while ago in the lab was the last time I've experimented. I do not act on my own, for each actor must have his or her director give instructions before acting." Nathan replied, holding his ground.

Ayumi raised her eyebrows at him, then flashed her eyes, "Then why do I have a fresh and new Chiropteran experiment that Miguel and Amalia fought in the middle of the city? With, might I add, increased stats and physical and mental capabilities?"

"I do not know. Only four of us have access to the lab, my mistress. I take it you didn't do it, and I know I didn't. So that leaves Miguel and Amalia." Nathan suggested.

Ayumi grabbed the hood of her cloak and flipped it over her head, shadowing her face, but her eyes were still bright and shining. "Do not betray me, Nathan. I am a horrible enemy to have. Change the passkey to the lab and send it to me. Do not let Miguel or Amalia know. Instead, give them each fake codes. Seperate ones so we know who's trying to get in. Let me know when someone tries to get into the lab with a fake code. And furthermore, do not experiment any further with Chiropteran. I don't want my niece jumping down my throat or catching me on her radar. Or her Chevalier either. Understand?"

"Yes, my lady. I will make all the necessary preparations to set the stage for the most marvelous performance ever. But may I ask a question of you first?"

She paused before stepping off the stage from the stairs on the right and left sides, and turned around slightly. "You may."

"Do you still have the voice?"

Ayumi gave a small flicker of a smile as her eyes dimmed down to their normal shade of deep blue, "Diva was not the only one in the family who had the gift, Nathan."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Saya sat by the window of the hotel room silently, not looking at Hagi. She hadn't spoken or looked at him since the alleyway. Saya ate in silence. She sat in silence while flipping channels on the television. She didn't even compliment him on his new songs for the cello. She just sat there. Trying to fit the pieces and fragments together. Truth was, she didn't remember her mother. She didn't even remember her sister for the longest time. It had never occurred to her that she came from somewhere. Well, Saya had sat through those "classes" and she knew about how she came to being, but she never thought about thinking about her family. Like her mother? Did her mother have family? And her father? Did her father have family? Joel's diary clearly mentioned they were in some sort of mummy, assumed to be her mother. So how did she get there? There had to be an explanation...right?

Then the phone rang. Not her cell phone, however, but the room phone. Saya answered it softly. "Hello?"

"Yo, Saya. You wanna know about your mom or not?"

"Who is this?"

"This is the Grim Reaper. Just get your ass down here in five minutes or I'm out and you'll never see me or hear about your mother again. Oh, and leave your brute force behind."

Saya hung up the phone, her face troubled.

"Saya?"

"Hagi...I need you to stay behind. There's something I need to do. And me alone."

* * *

_**Atagoki: **_ _OK. What to expect from next chapter? I know. You don't. So you're just going to have to keep reading. XD Sorry. Love to hear your opinion and reviews. I'm thusly awaiting. Adieu. _


	6. Chapter 5

**The Missing Link**

_**Warnings: **Mild language and violence._

_**Disclaimer: **It's a fansite.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

Saya stood outside, looking both ways. She had taken the stairs to make it downstairs even faster, then examined the lobby and looked at everyone. A petite and chubby woman was standing, holding a cup of coffee in her hand and reading a newspaper. An elderly man walked with a cane towards the seating lounge. A skinny young girl stood with her mother as the mother talked to the concierge while arguing in some other European language to a smaller boy. A tall female figure leaned against the wall nearby the phone.

She had a tan jacket with medium sized brown buttons on the front and her collar was popped up, shielding her neck. Her hat was matching to that of her jacket and her jeans were faded in some areas and dark blue in others. She walked towards Saya, keeping her face hidden by the hat and her brown boots made a clicking sound as the heel came in contact with the luxurious, marble floors. The woman flashed a grin at Saya after looking up and removing her hat, giving a small and sloppy salute.

Saya's lip quivered. "You..."

"Actually, when I was born, see, there's this crazy old thing, where they give children names instead of calling them "you" and other pronouns. But hey, maybe that's an old thing. I'm Amalia. Learn it."

"What's going on here?"

The violet eyed woman glared suspiciously at Saya behind her dark sunglasses, then pulled them down. "You really are uninformed," Amalia laughed bitterly and pushed her sunglasses down. "But I'm not here to tell you about the present, more so...about the past. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"I'm here for answers," Saya said, her voice quavering a little.

Amalia raised an angled brow and shook her head, her grin growing larger. "Saya, that act only fools yourself. Stop trying to fool me; I'm older and wiser," She said after giving a bitter laugh, then walked out of the hotel, motioning with her index finger for Saya to follow. Saya reluctantly complied.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Miguel!" Ayumi called irately.

"Yes, my Queen," Miguel replied, entering the room quickly and giving a stout bow.

"Where is Amalia?"

Miguel's eyebrow twitched a little bit, then he frowned slightly. "Erm...what?"

Ayumi rolled her eyes and said in small and fragmented words, "Where...is...Amalia?"

"She said she was going downtown for a while to do some shopping for the repairs of the upstairs chambers..." Miguel answered.

"Oh? That's odd because I'm having the room repaired. There's even a note on the door."

"Perhaps she doesn't know, Ayumi-sama." He suggested.

Ayumi sighed and shook her head, grabbing her long, black jacket and buttoning it up, then grabbed her umbrella. "You're so dense. She was the one who wrote the note, genius."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Where are we going?" Saya asked exasperatedly.

"You're probably freaking hungry. We're going to get something to eat. See the restaurants? Restaurants serve food. Baby steps, love." Amalia said sarcastically.

Saya's stomach growled a bit. She _was_ hungry, so it couldn't hurt to go along and just listen to what this woman had to say, even if she was annoying. And rude. And disrespectful.

As they entered the McDonalds, Saya frowned. They ate at these too? She shook off the thoughts as Amalia took off her sunglasses and shoved them in her pocket, then stepped up to the cashier. "What do you want, Saya?"

Saya frowned a little. "Whatever is fine."

Amalia rolled her eyes, then rattled off some order to the cashier and waited a minute, then took the bag and sat down a convenient table outside. "All right," Amalia said before taking a bite out of her burger, "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know who you are."

"Questions prevalent to your mother only," Amalia taunted, swallowing.

"What's my mother's name, then." Saya inquired.

"Ooh, going for the easy stuff then, eh? All right, her name _was_ Hakuro." Amalia replied, emphasizing on 'was.'

Saya nibbled on some of her hamburger, then questioned again, "Where was she born?"

"Ooh, nice one. Um...let's see...I believe she was born in Athens or Rome."

"I thought you knew everything,"

"I'm not that old, damn it. Athens or Rome should suffice. Now keep the questions coming and start asking better ones; if you want to know stuff like her favorite color and vacation spot, then this discussion is over."

"You said 'was.' That means she's dead. Who killed her?"

Amalia chuckled a bit. "Your aunt."

"...I have an aunt?"

"Your only flesh and blood still alive. Interesting to know, eh? The similarities and parallelism between you is so striking. Both murderers of your sisters...both the older sister...and then the similarities between your sister and your aunt are even more prevalent...blue eyes...both talented voices in singing...both obsessed with Chiropteran."

"Chiropteran? What is my aunt doing with Chiropteran? Did she create the one you and your male accomplice defeated in the streets?"

Amalia shook her head and wagged her finger. "Questions about the past only, love."

"What's my aunt's name?"

"I'll give you that one; Ayumi."

"How did my mother die?" Saya asked softly, her eyes stinging with tears.

For the first time, Amalia looked truly pained. She sighed and closed her eyes, massaging her temples, then replied with her own question, "Saya, I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to that question. You will have to ask your aunt."

"Why couldn't anyone hear the Chiropteran scream yesterday? Or you, for that matter?" Saya said demandingly.

Amalia put her hands together and brought them to her lips, looking as if she were about to make a prayer, then opened her eyes. Her usually animated violet eyes had turned sullen and sad, and she opened her mouth to speak. "Frequency of pitch. It was raised above that of a human's capability to hear. Something like Diva's singing voice."

"Like Diva's singing voice...?"

"Saya, I'm sorry to leave you hanging here, but it's time for me to go. Find Hagi, go back to Okinawa, live a good long life and never come back to Spain, Europe or get involved with the Chiropteran." Amalia said, then jumped up from her chair and hopped over the small railing separating the fast food restaurant from the path and melted into the sea of people.

Saya sighed reluctantly, but noticed the PDA left in the seat. "She dropped it...?" Saya murmured to herself. She collected it and shoved it in her pocket, before trying to figure out her way back to her home.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Amalia walked faster down the streets and busy sidewalks. Having been spotted, or at least her spotting Miguel, it was high time for her to leave. She tapped her back pocket. Wait...

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Amalia hissed angrily. "No fucking way..."

"Amalia!" A voice called her out. The frequency was higher. The humans kept walking and ignoring her and the person calling her out. "What are you doing?"

Amalia pulled her hat further down, then walked forward, trying to ignore them.

"Amalia! I know it's you. You were the one who tampered with the Chiropteran, weren't you?" Miguel called louder.

Amalia said nothing and kept walking towards the empty theater where Nathan usually was.

He cried at her, "Why would you do it? Why would you betray Ayumi...Nathan...me?"

She took a right turn and entered the church, taking a fair amount of holy water onto her hands and creating the cross, then began to kneel down and pray. "Amalia, I'm not going to walk away from you."

"This is a holy place, Miguel. I'm giving prayers."

"You've betrayed us."

"I've done nothing wrong. Ayumi is a bitter person. She has the power to make this world better than it has been. She is a vessel of purity, as is Saya. Yet they refuse to do anything. The Chiropteran can help us."

"You've changed too much, Amalia. You're warped! What's wrong with you?" He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards him, shaking her softly.

She grabbed his hand apprehensively and pressed a pressure point hard to make him release. "Don't touch me."

"Amalia, I'm not letting you do this!"

"You can't stop me." She spat bitterly.

He pulled out a knife and let the ice cold blade dance across her skin. "I will stop you. Even if it means spilling your blood here and now, in this holy place."

Amalia grabbed his arm and used her elbow to hit him in the nose, then ran down the aisle, taking off her hat and unbuttoning her jacket. She wrapped the sleeves of the jacket around her hands and then waited for him to come forward. Miguel came running at full speed, and thrusted his arm holding his knife forward. Amalia leaned backward and the blade grazed her cheek. A splash of blood hit the ground, then she wiped her cheek and fresh skin had already taken place. "Miguel, you're still so slow."

She grabbed his arm and twisted the jacket around it, then jumped on his back and grabbed him by the hair, using her body wait to pull him down towards the hard marble floor. Miguel reacted quickly and grabbed her arm and the side of her shirt, then threw her full force towards the pews. Amalia went flying backwards and ended her flight by crashing into a stone wall. She reacted by charging him full speed and sending him through the stained glass, then grabbed a shard of the colored shard and jumped on the ledge of where the glass was formerly. Miguel was lying in the glass and his eyes were closed. Amalia stood over his body, making a cross sign upon her head and torso, then walked away as people crowded around him and the broken window of the church.

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

**The Missing Link**

_**Warnings: **Mild language and violence._

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

Saya was walking back when she suddenly heard some sort of conversation. It was loud. It was ferocious. It almost made her ears burst. Or so it felt like.

She clamped her hands over her ears and tried to mute or drown out the sound, but all she got was a few strange looks from the people passing by. Then she heard a crash and a scream. A huge amount of white birds flocked from a direction. Unknowingly, she took off running towards the location. Or where she thought it was.

She ended up in front of a theater looking at it oddly. It seemed empty. But she swore she heard voices and music and singing. Odd. A person brushed by her trying, as did several others, who stated their pardons and then ran, talking about an assault near a church. She tried following them, then sighed. However, she looked up as she spotted a circling crowd...around something. They were mumbling, "Hey, sir...are you all right?" And others said, "Oh, my God! Someone call for help. Someone call the police and the hospital!" A few screamed, "Is someone a doctor?"

Unknowingly, Saya pushed her way to the front, and saw an all too familiar person lying on the ground, eyes closed. Saya got on her knees and shook his shoulders. "Hey! Hey, are you okay? Hey! Wake up!"

Something grabbed her wrist sharply as she reached down to check his pulse. "Stop that, foolish girl." The cold voice sent chills down her spine. Saya looked up, then fell backwards, landing on the seat of her pants. But her right wrist was no longer being pulled back by the nook of an umbrella and instead, a gloved hand. In response, Saya frowned and made an angry fist. The eyes from the voice's owner looked at her for a brief moment, flashing for just a moment, and then Saya wanted to scream in all her rage and hit the woman. But her voice was gone and the grip on her wrist was tightening, seeming to tell Saya, "Stop now!"

Saya obliged and loosened her fist's clench, and the woman let go of her wrist, then looked to the crowd, speaking in a quick and unaccented Spanish about they being help and that the crowd needs to back up. The woman then looked at her. "All right now, call your Chevalier."

"What?" Saya said, not processing the words.

"I said call him. I need his help."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Do you not know how to call him?" She seemed exasperated and at her limits.

Saya shook her head slowly.

"What's his name?"

Saya paused for a minute. Giving her his name could be dangerous or harmless.

"Forget it." She covered her face with her hands then removed them and whistled at Saya. "Help me take him to my home."

"What?"

Ayumi grabbed Saya by the collar of her jacket and lifted her up, Saya's feet dangling from the ground, and forced her against a stone wall from the church. "I'm getting pretty damn tired of your questions. Stop asking so many! Maybe Amalia and Sofia and your Chevalier and the Red Shield put up with them, but I'm not any of them. So if you want to live and stop something that could be equal to that of a worldwide nuclear winter, you're going to shut up and do as I say! Do we have a complete understanding of one another?" Her hand was covered with a silky black glove and the coolness of the woman's hand from beneath it was enough to make Saya shudder. She gasped for a breath of air and choked back the tears, then swallowed and nodded. "Perfect. Now help me take him to my home."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"What's going on?" Saya asked flatly. "And who's Sofia?"

Ayumi rolled her eyes as she peeled off her jacket, however, she left her gloves on. She reached for the stove and started the kettle with some water for tea. "Do you prefer ginseng or jasmine tea?"

"I'd prefer some answers."

"Jasmine it is."

"Are you Ayumi?"

Ayumi stopped and wiped the area between her nose and mouth irately, then placed her hands on both sides of the stove. The faucet began to start dripping. "Sofia is the_—_"

"You didn't answer my question. Did Miguel know what's going on?"

Ayumi looked over her shoulder slightly, only giving Saya enough to see the side of her face and a corner of her eye. "Miguel was on a need-to-know basis."

"And now look at him."

Ayumi whirled around and wrapped her fingers around Saya's throat. "I don't need you to tell me what my mistakes are! Listen to me, Saya! You had someone to tell you what your mistakes were! Someone to help you get back on your feet when you lost your memory. You had a family! You know what I had? Nothing! You think you know me or my life? Or what I've done?"

"I know you killed my mother!" Saya managed to get out, and to her own satisfaction, she spit it out hotly.

Ayumi's grip released and she reached for the door. "Get out."

Saya looked up as the door creaked. Ayumi looked towards the empty space outside, then saw a figure fill the doorway, her eyes darting back to Saya.

"Hagi!" Saya called, standing up. At that moment, the phone rang. "How did you know?"

Ayumi gave him a look, then looked down, shaking her head. "He's been following you the entire time. A Chevalier's duty is to never abandon his Queen. Curious as to how you found one so loyal," Ayumi began to circle around him, then grabbed him by the arm and jerked him in, slamming the door. "Did anyone follow you, boy?"

"Stop evading our questions! And what are you doing with Chiropteran?" Saya said, following Ayumi into the kitchen.

The piercing blue eyes caught brown ones, darting to Hagi's green ones for a brief moment, then moved back to Saya's. "Go back to Okinawa."

"What?"

"You two will only taint your lives with more blood. You've killed your own flesh and blood, Saya. I should think that's enough."

"Tell me what's going on with the Chiropteran. We can help." Saya pleaded, trying a new approach.

Ayumi looked from both Hagi to Saya to the kettle of boiling water on the stove, then shook her head. "I must be out of my mind...meet me at the old, deserted theater near the place we found Miguel. I think what you see will make more sense than my words. Now get out of my home."

* * *

_**Atagoki: **Sorry I've been on hiatus. I was in Mexico. Read and review. Thank you. :3  
_


	8. Chapter 7

**The Missing Link**

_**Warnings: **Violence._

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

"Saya, are you sure about this?" Kai asked nervously. "I'm sure you're trying to be useful, but this Ayumi sounds dangerous, not to mention, moody as hell. You should just come home."

"No. I need to do this. I just wanted to let you know so you and the others could alert the Red Shield. All right?"

"Fine. But Saya, if I don't get a phone call in exactly one day, I'm booking the first flight to Seville. You understand me?"

"I see fatherhood has changed you. Bye, Kai."

"Bye, Saya."**  
**

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Hagi, I think this is it." Saya said softly.

Hagi gave a small nod.

Saya took a deep breath and eyed the building. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to be in this abandoned theater...but I suppose it's for hiding. Well, we're no use standing out here. Let's go inside."

She gathered up all the courage in her body and took a step forward, striding towards the building and pushed the semi-rotten, wooden door open. The theater smelled stuffy and Saya felt a crunch as she took a step forward. She looked down. Bugs. She shook her thoughts off and peered over her shoulder. Hagi was still there, naturally.

An eerie sound filled the hallways and a blast of wind closed the door to the theater entrance. Saya peered around. "Humming...she sounds like Diva...yet so different," Saya mumbled to herself and Hagi. Hagi nodded and tried to ignore whatever discomfort was surging through his body.

"Hello?" Saya finally called through the building.

The humming stopped and a figure approached them. "Hm. You did come. And here I was hoping you'd go home." Ayumi said irately.

Saya looked at Ayumi's gloved hands. It wasn't cold in the theater. Of all things, it was hot. And it wasn't a tea party either. There was something...odd about those gloves. Saya looked up at Hagi, their eyes meeting briefly. It seemed to her he expressed a similar concern.

"Let's stop staring at me and go. Now." Ayumi rolled her eyes and walked towards the back of the theater, climbing down a ladder behind the stage. "This theater used to be used for small opera performances and dramas. The theater finally got old and the owner was too cheap to repair it. So, I bought it cheap and after a little renovation, I made a large investment in some laboratory equipment. It cost a lot of money to dig the hole in the area behind the stage and keep it covered, but I can find money when I need it. Saya, I know you don't trust me. That doesn't matter to me. I need your allegiance, not your trust."

"Don't they mean the same thing?"

"They mean we believe in the same thing, Saya," Ayumi replied, a little offended by the question. "Remember that well, Saya. Don't ever trust me, or the person you're about to meet."

"Sad way to live, my Queen's sister," A voice called out. Saya shivered.

Ayumi turned around and locked eyes with Nathan. "It's a sad business. I'm sure you remember Saya and Hagi."

"Hard not to considering she stuck that lovely sword in me," Nathan replied, "But the performance called for my disappearance. Sorry for alarming you, Saya."

Saya's hands pulsed as she squeezed them closed, then reopened them and placed them flat against her legs. "You're the one working on the...Chiropteran, right?"

Nathan nodded.

"But what does this have to do with...Amalia?"

Nathan's small smile disappeared. "She's trying to destroy the world. Cleanse it of it's impurities as she would call it. There's a balance in the world between the supernatural and the natural. If it is to become unbalanced, the it will correct itself. How is to be determined. However, there is a mediator between the natural and the supernatural. Something like a daughter of both races, but not really. The appearance of the natural with the best traits and ripest age to match. However, she is of a different decent."

Saya looked away. "Me..."

"Correction: you and I," Ayumi cut off shortly. "The point is, we can't let her do this. It's just too much."

"And what do you need us for?" Saya asked.

"We need you to convince the Red Shield to help us and offer Nathan, Miguel, Amalia and I protection. You are not to hunt us or badger us after this?"

Saya looked at Ayumi abruptly. "But Amalia is the one behind this!"

"Amalia has done nothing wrong! It's not her fault. Now, give me her PDA. I know you have it. I saw you shove it in Hagi's pocket earlier. Now give it to me." Ayumi held out her hand.

Saya paused, then handed it over to Ayumi. "I planned on giving it to you anyway,"

"There are beds down here. You and your Chevalier can take the one next to me. I'd prefer you two separate. Hagi can stay between us since he may feel he can protect you somehow." Ayumi motioned with her thumb towards a hallway. "Goodnight."

"But..."

"I said 'goodnight'!"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Ayumi sat up in bed and rolled off the lumpy mattress. She grabbed an engraved knife beside the bed and picked it up, walking towards the door. She was so exhausted, she was still in her clothing. As she peered out into the corridor and noticed there was nothing to be alarmed about, she lowered her awareness and walked towards the PDA, examining it for any clues. The door creaked and a shadow crept into the room. Ayumi closed her eyes and dropped the knife on the table.

"I was wondering when you'd come," Ayumi muttered, half looking over her shoulder.

The figure rushed her and lurched for the knife, but Ayumi reacted and whirled around using the back of her hand to whack her attacker. A hand reached out and grabbed her hand before she could whack again, and then forced her against the wall. Ayumi used her free hand to try and pry the figure off her. The moonlight from the window illuminated his face.

"Hagi...this is unlike you. Did Saya tell you to do this?" She asked, searching his face for an answer.

He gripped her hand tighter and used his body weight to try and stop her resistance, while trying to peel the glove off her right hand. Ayumi grabbed his hand and forced him off. "You want to see my hand? Is this what you want to see?" She whipped the black cloth off easily. "I don't know who you think you are or where you come from, but I'm sure you have no idea what this is. Take a good look at it." The back of her hand was scarred with black lines darting across it in circles and scrapes, and in the center, small initials were engraved even deeper, making it blacker.

Hagi backed up.

"When I was ninety-three years old, my sister's Chevalier attacked me. In response, I killed him. It was self-defense. Yet, my sister was convinced I must have provoked him. And I did. I told him he was a disgrace to his race and he had dishonored my sister for the last time. Anyway, after putting away his remains, my sister and her Chevalier's grabbed my hand and held it out. My sister took this knife," Ayumi held it up and stuck it in the moonlight, "And filled the small groove with her blood, then looked at my eyes, hers turning bright red, and said 'Ayumi, for the life you so wrongly took, you will be scarred by it and remember it forever.' His initials are here, in the center. The circles represent the years of his service. Satisfied? Now get out and never, under any circumstance, touch me again. I will kill her if you do."

Hagi cleared his throat. "Who?"

"Saya."

* * *


	9. Chapter 8

**The Missing Link**

_**Warnings: **Language_

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

"We've been walking for hours, Nathan, I don't see anything that could point to where she is," Ayumi sighed as she examined the map, tracing her finger along a small path. "Her targets are going to be areas with a high amount of 'sin' and disorder, so I suppose that helps us a bit."

"So she's going to Las Vegas, the Sin City?" Miguel joked, to which Ayumi rolled her eyes, and shut the cellular phone quickly. He had awaken from his unconsciousness and was resting in Ayumi's home. Apparently, the fact he had the lights knocked out of him made him into a practical joker, which sprouted Ayumi's disapproval and quick decision to leave him there.

"We're not calling him again. If he calls, don't answer it." She snapped, then walked forward. "Let's just make it to Valencia and go from there. I doubt Sofia is stupid enough to try and pull any shit in Seville, so Valencia is probably a likely target."

It had been a long few hours of walking since the group stopped riding the small car from Seville, as Nathan suggested that tracking Amalia and Sofia would be easier on foot.

"And if she's not in Valencia," Saya interjected, "Then what?"

Ayumi's eyes flashed, "Then we'll just keep looking!"

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Ayumi sat by the fire in the woods, tracing her finger over the initials of the letters on her scar. She had not said a word to Hagi since the night he forced her to remove it, but she was also sure he had not told Saya anything, even if he was acting under her orders.

Nathan's eyes trickled over to Hagi, who was facing away from the group and scanning the dark horizon, while playing the cello. A huge release of breath was heard, then Ayumi whirled around and opened her mouth, hissing, "Don't you ever play another song? You've been playing that one for over a century! Perhaps we should have bought you some new sheet music before embarking on this journey!"

Silence. The cello stopped, and all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. Nathan and Saya looked at the tension between the two of the unhappy figures, then Ayumi stood up and went trampling through the forests.

"Where are you going?" Saya called after her.

"Why do you even give a damn?" Ayumi snapped back, her footsteps softly drowning away.

Hagi went back to playing the cello and Saya looked over to Nathan, who spoke before she could open her mouth, "You want to know how it is I didn't die from your blood, correct?"

Saya nodded.

"Well that's simply because I'm not Diva's Chevalier. I'm your mother's. Or, I should say, I was your mother's. I've been working for her sister ever since she passed away," Nathan answered.

"You make it sound like she died of old age or of a sickness," Saya mumbled softly.

"I probably do. I'd like to think she died that way, rather than what really happened."

"And what really happened?" Saya asked, her voice suddenly raising.

Nathan looked at her, then to Hagi. "Do you notice how every time we come near a church, he sometimes stops to look and scan the cemetery?"

Saya furrowed her eyebrows and gave Nathan a quizzical look. Nathan smiled and shook his head.

"I suppose not. But it makes you wonder what he's looking for, or should I say, who he's looking for, correct?"

Saya sighed and looked at Hagi, then nodded her head, "Yeah, it does."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Nathan, that's enough!"

Saya's eyes snapped open and she almost leaned up from her reclined position, but she noticed the fire was still going. Any stirring on her part would stop whatever interactions were going on, and for some reason, Hagi was missing.

"My Queen's sister, I beg of you, my lady. You remember every life you've taken. Just take a look at him and see if you recognize some part of someone in him!"

Ayumi's eyes began to emit a bright, blue glow. "I don't need you to tell me what to do! If I took the life of a relative, it doesn't matter. He's better off not knowing, if you ask me!"

Nathan closed his eyes. "I understand you, but if it was someone you loved, would you not wish to know? Saya feels the same way about her mother as I'm sure Hagi does over his relative, my lady."

Ayumi buried her face in her hands, "I would say I wish to know, but I would rather hear a lie if it was the way Hakuro died."

"Lies always come unraveled with the fabric of time," Nathan replied.

Ayumi nodded. "I'll talk to him tomorrow...and apologize for the incident regarding the scar."

"And Saya?"

"I told you already, I'd rather hear a lie. I think Saya would, too. I will tell her eventually, just not now. We have too many things to concentrate on right now."

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Today, Saya felt like sticking close to Hagi. They were walking by a large Gothic church now, and she wanted him to know she was there for him. It felt just like it did thirty years. He was the only one with the answers to her past, aside from Joel with Joel's diary, and the only person from her very beginnings. She needed him, and now, he needed her.

And now, Saya paused as they approached the large doors to the church. What was so wrong with her? The moment he came back into her life, just mere days ago, she didn't fling her arms around his neck and hold onto him, asking if this was real. She smiled and said hello, then went back to her room and became so sick to her stomach, she began to vomit. Why?

"Saya, Nathan, I feel like Amalia was here. Amalia stops at every church she passes by to pray. Go see if a priest or anyone knows anything at all," Ayumi instructed, her cerulean eyes glancing at Hagi.

"Wait, I'll go with Hagi and Nathan can stay here!" Saya protested.

"No! I have something to discuss with Hagi. You, go now!"

Silence endured after Nathan allowed the large doors to the church to close behind himself and Saya. Ayumi glanced at Hagi now, racking her brain for someone he looked like. "I'm sorry," She finally exhaled.

Hagi looked at her, then back at the door to the church.

"I'm sorry for what I did the other night. I shouldn't have tried to kill you. And I should have showed you my hand. But you shouldn't have attacked me. Tell me, how did you come to find Saya."

Hagi swallowed and then looked at Ayumi, "I was traveling with my family and our group was attacked. I was left alone after that and found by servant traders, and then I was sold to Saya's house."

Ayumi closed her eyes and tried to remember the times she had lost control because of her lust for blood. "And where was this attack?"

"Northern France."

"Fuck!" Ayumi hissed, and slammed her fist against the stone of the church.

Hagi looked at her, then at Ayumi's hand.

Ayumi inhaled deeply. "Did you...did you...have a sister?"

Hagi nodded, adding, "Half-sister."

"She looked just like you," Ayumi sighed softly, rubbing her forehead. "I remember, before I, lost control...I heard this girl. She had a good laugh. It reminded me so much of Hakuro's. And she had the most beautiful singing voice I had ever heard, but that laugh. It just...killed me. And I lost control. I felt like Saya probably did in Vietnam. I just couldn't stop swinging my sword and I saw her eyes just before I...I drank her last drop of blood. I'm--I'm so sorry."

Saya exited the church just as Ayumi mumbled the last word of her apology. Ayumi was on her knees, biting her lip so intensely, she had to wipe the blood trickling down from it. Nathan paused and looked at the entire group, then back at Ayumi.

"The priest said a woman who matched the photograph of Amalia we showed was here for communion around lunchtime. She had to have left about an hour ago via automobile. I think Amalia and Sofia believe they killed Miguel. We'll have to keep this secret, however."

Ayumi used the back of her hand to wipe the last of the blood from her lip, then stood up and shook off her emotions. "Then we need to go after her. We can catch up with her if we find a car rental place and drive all night on the back roads. A city can't be far if there's a church here. Let's go."

"Hagi...what happened?" Saya asked, touching his shoulder. Unusually, Hagi flinched, then shifted in cello case and shook his head.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

**The Missing Link**

_**Warnings: **Language_

* * *

**Chapter _9:_**

Ever since that particular scene outside the church with Ayumi and Hagi, Saya felt unnerved. Like the threads that weaved into her treacherous life were coming undone with each pull. Hagi and Kai were most certainly the underlying support system for her, but these new threads...Ayumi, Hakuro, Amalia and Sofia...all they did was shake her and make her feel less secure. Soon her entire life would be unwoven if she didn't stop it, if she didn't stop the madness...

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_"Joel, you're beginning to annoy me," A cold voice stated flatly in a thickly accented English._

_"I beg your pardon, Señorita?" Joel replied, his German accent very fair._

_"Hakuro had two children, but I only see one little girl running about free as a bird. Where's the other? Did you think I wouldn't notice?" She replied with her thick accent._ _It was Spanish--Southern Spain if Saya was into betting like her chamber maid. _

_The woman was tall, with dark hair swooped up to reveal the back of her black and lacy dress. Joel was standing with his back to the barely cracked door and was a few inches shorter than the fierce woman. All Saya could see from the small crack in the door was a set of icy violet eyes that sent a series of chills down her spine.  
_

_"I don't know who you think you are, Señorita Ama--"_

_"Do not interrupt my rhetorical questions, Joel! Look, I don't care if you've locked the other in a basement to rot away in a hellish confinement. However, I do care about the fact that you're lying to me. I don't take to lying very well, you see. I was the one who brought--"  
_

_"Child, what you doing?" The housekeeper asked, grabbing her wrist. "Your father will kill you if he finds you peeping in on him and that lady. Now go on! Get! You have your dance lessons to get to!" _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_The pair of brown eyes belonging to Saya snapped open and she scanned her surroundings. The crackling fire was a soothing sound and Ayumi's deep blue eyes glowed in the light. "Welcome back." Ayumi's voice had a hoarse and raspy sound to it, so she coughed to clear it. "You sort of passed out. Hagi carried you for a while and then we figured it was time for you to rest."_

_"I passed out?"_

_"Yeah. Have you been getting enough blood lately?" Ayumi asked, creating a few lines in her forehead and in between her eyebrows._

_Saya shrugged and rubbed her forehead. _

_"I sent Nathan out to look for the next town and Hagi's getting more firewood. Go back to sleep, Saya."_

_"I'm fine. I don't need you to tell me to rest. I just need a little food." Saya mumbled._

_Ayumi rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sure. And then when you die from not getting enough blood, what the hell am I supposed to do about your Chevalier? Just stop trying to rebel and drink some of his blood when he gets back. I can't have you dying on me in the middle of this because of a pro--"_

_"Hypocritical as always, Ayumi." The calm voice interrupted._

_"Sofia?" Ayumi called out into the woods._

_"You betcha. So why don't we tell Saya here about how it is you're a hypocrite and she might as well ignore everything you say." The woman just laughed quietly. "Why don't you tell her about your hand and how it is exactly that you got to fighting Hakuro's Chevalier and killing him? That's a great story to hear."_

_"Perhaps you should show yourself instead of being a coward!" Ayumi snapped irately._

_"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but Ayumi's miserable attempts at provoking me won't! So let's just go into how it is you detested your bloodthirsty side!" Sofia chirped. "Or how it is that you denied the blood because you were afraid of becoming a monster. Ayumi, you call me a coward, but let's face it. You're the biggest one of all. You screw around with your niece's lives, kill your sister and run away from her Chevaliers and leave yours to clean up the mess, you refuse to admit you need help and you almost got Miguel killed. How do you sleep at night? How do you even look at yourself in the mirror? You are a monster. Sure, you don't look like a Chiropteran or anything disgusting like that, but you are--without a doubt--a monster wrapped up in a human's body with a pretty face and some pretty eyes. And the one thing you fear most of all is someone getting close to you. You know why? Because you're a coward!"_

"I'm not a coward!" Ayumi screamed, opening her eyes.

Saya looked at her cautiously. "Are you all right?"

"No. I'm not."

* * *


End file.
